Siri is the intelligent personal assistant built in to iOS and other apple devices. It can be used to look up information such as weather forecasts, sports scores, stock prices, and calendar events and reminders, call or text people, read your email messages, turn some settings on and off, open apps, play music, control your home, and more. In addition, Siri can perform some tasks in third-party apps if the developer has implemented support. Activating and setting up Siri on an iPhone is a simple task. All you need is a few spare minutes and a quiet environment to get you started.
In this beginner’s guide, i’ll explain the steps to activate Siri on your iPhone, how to use it, and what you can use it for. I will also show you how to change important Siri Settings. Let’s get started.
How to Set Up Siri on Your iPhone
If you didn’t set up Siri when you first set up your iPhone, here’s how to do so:
- Go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri).
- Tap Talk to Siri or Talk & Type to Siri.
- Choose “Siri” or “Hey Siri” (if you have that option).
- When the Siri setup screen appears, tap Continue.
- Say each command that you see on your screen.
- Tap Done.
Activate Siri with your voice
When you activate Siri with your voice, Siri responds out loud.
Say “Siri” or “Hey Siri,” then ask a question or make a request.
For example, say something like “Hey Siri, what’s the weather for today?” or “Siri, set an alarm for 7 a.m.” You can also discover Siri capabilities on your iPhone and in apps by activating Siri and asking "What can I do here?"
While wearing AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or AirPods (2nd generation or later), say Siri or Hey Siri, then immediately make your request.
For example, when looking at a photo in your Photo library, activate Siri and say something like “Send this to mom” to create a new message with the photo.
Tip: To prevent iPhone from responding to the voice requests “Siri” or “Hey Siri,” place your iPhone face down, or go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri). Tap “Talk to Siri” or “Talk & Type to Siri” then choose Off.
Activate Siri with a button
If you want to activate Siri with a button, go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri). Tap “Talk to Siri” or “Talk & Type to Siri,” then turn on Press Side Button for Siri (on an iPhone with Face ID) or Press Home for Siri (on an iPhone with a Home button).
When you activate Siri with a button, Siri responds silently when iPhone is in silent mode. When silent mode is off, Siri responds out loud. To change this behavior, go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri). Tap Siri Responses, then choose an option below Spoken Responses. Tap Prefer Spoken Responses to hear Siri speak responses, even when Silent mode is turned on.
- If your iPhone has a Home button, press the Home button, then ask your question or make your request.
- If your iPhone doesn’t have a Home button, press the Side button, then ask your question or make your request.
- To make a longer request, press and hold the Side or Home button until you’re finished with your request.
- With EarPods: Press and hold the center or call button, then make your request.
- On AirPods Pro or AirPods (3rd generation or later), press and hold the force sensor on the stem of either AirPod, then make your request.
- On AirPods (1st or 2nd generation), double-tap the outside of either AirPod, wait for a chime, then make your request.
- On AirPods Max, press and hold the Digital Crown, then make your request.
- With CarPlay: Press and hold the voice command button on the steering wheel, or touch and hold the Home button on the CarPlay Home Screen, then ask your question or make your request.
- With Siri Eyes Free: Press and hold the voice command button on your steering wheel, then ask your question or make your request.
Make a correction if Siri misunderstands you
- While making back-to-back requests: Repeat your request in a different way.
- If you aren’t making back-to-back requests: Tap the Listen button, then repeat your request in a different way.
- Spell out part of your request: Tap the Listen button, then repeat your request by spelling out any words that Siri didn’t understand. For example, say “Call,” then spell the person’s name.
- Change a message before sending it: Say “Change it.”
- Edit your request with text: If you see your request onscreen, you can edit it. Tap the request, then use the onscreen keyboard.
Tip: To correct your request without reactivating Siri, make the corrected request immediately after the original one.
If you have any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, Siri follows along if you stumble over your words while making a request.
Change Siri’s speaking volume
If you want to change Siri’s speaking volume, press the Volume buttons on the side of your iPhone or your headphones while Siri is speaking.
Change Siri’s speaking speed
With iOS 17 and later, you can change how quickly or slowly Siri speaks.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility, then tap Siri.
- Slide the Speaking Rate slider toward the right for faster speech, toward the left for slower speech.
Type instead of speaking to Siri
When you don’t want to speak out loud, you can type to Siri—for example, when you’re in a quiet place like a meeting or a library.
If you have any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can turn on Type to Siri by going to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, tap Talk & Type to Siri, then turn on Type to Siri.
To type to Siri, double-tap the bottom of the screen, then enter your request.
If your iPhone doesn’t have Apple Intelligence, go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri, then turn on Type to Siri.
To type a request, press the button to activate Siri, then use the keyboard and text field to ask a question or make a request.
For some requests, iPhone must be connected to the internet. Cellular charges may apply.
Use Siri to access ChatGPT
If you have any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can let Siri use ChatGPT to create content or get information. You can set up ChatGPT in Settings:
- Go to Settings , then tap Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Tap ChatGPT, then tap Set Up.
- Do one of the following:
- Use ChatGPT without an account: Tap Enable ChatGPT.
- Use ChatGPT with an existing account: Tap Use ChatGPT with an Account, then follow the onscreen instructions.
To use Siri to access ChatGPT, activate Siri, then say or type something like:
- "Hey Siri, ask ChatGPT to compose a haiku about dragons."
- "What should I get my uncle for his 70th birthday? He loves to fish."
- "Hey Siri, ask ChatGPT for some ideas of how to spend a free afternoon in Malibu if I don’t feel like hitting the beach."
- "Hey Siri, compose a limerick about a tiger named Terry."
- "What kind of recipes can I make with this?"with a photo of fruit open in the Photos app.
- "Hey Siri, ask ChatGPT to summarize this document for me," with a document–like a PDF of a lease agreement–open in the Files app.
If you make a request to Siri without mentioning ChatGPT, and Siri determines that ChatGPT would be helpful, it asks if you want to use ChatGPT to fulfill the request. You’re always asked to confirm before any photos or files are sent to ChatGPT.
If you want Siri to use ChatGPT without asking your permission for those requests, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, tap ChatGPT, then turn off Confirm ChatGPT Requests.
Prevent access to Siri when iPhone is locked
- Go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri).
- Tap Allow Siri When Locked.
- Tap Turn Off Allow Siri When Locked button to confirm.
Change the voice for Siri
You can change the Siri voice in Settings.
- Go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri).
- Tap Voice, then choose a different variety or voice.
Change Siri settings for Phone, FaceTime, and Messages
You can perform tasks for Phone, FaceTime, and Messages with just your voice. With Siri, you can hang up calls and skip the confirmation step when sending messages. You can turn on these features in Settings.
- Go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri).
- Do any of the following:
- Hang up Phone and FaceTime calls: Tap Call Hang Up, then turn on the switch next to Call Hang Up.
- Send messages without confirmation: Tap Messaging with Siri, then turn on the switch next to Automatically Send Messages.
Tell Siri who you are
- Open Contacts , then fill out your contact information.
- Go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri) > My Information, then tap your name.
FAQs
How do I make Siri go away if I accidentally triggered her?
You can either stay silent, and she will eventually go away herself. Or you can say "stop" or "go away" which pretty much does the same thing.
How do you get Siri to swear?
Siri will never swear. If you ask her to, she will politely say she is not allowed to. The same goes for dirty jokes. She will refuse.
Can you change Siri’s name?
Yes, you can use Vocal Shortcuts to change Siri name on your iPhone in iOS 18. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Vocal Shortcuts > Set Up Vocal Shortcuts > Siri.
How do I disable Siri entirely?
If you decide to shut Siri down entirely, just go into Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri) settings on your iPhone, and toggle off all related settings.